Sustainable Development BA2

In today’s workshop we were learning about different types of diversity and as a result I have learned there are two main aspects to diversity:

• Biodiversity
• Cultural diversity

Biodiversity consists of species biodiversity and ecological biodiversity. Biodiversity is important because it effects the range of food sources, medical discoveries, preventing diseases, ecological services and resilience of species to adjust to catastrophes. There are many threats to biodiversity which include, climate change, habitat destruction, pollution, over exploration and the spread of diseases. It can be developed at primary level which would include food chains and looking at a small eco system within the school grounds. This could be used right throughout the whole school if the program was differentiated by the teacher according to the class and the children’s needs within it.

There is also cultural diversity which involves a variety of cultural customs, ways of life, religious beliefs and knowledge to mention a few.

Within workshop one, The Royal Society of the Protection of Birds (RSPB) came to chat to us and let us know what their job involves. We then went outside for several activities. We warmed up with a game where we had to be birds and act out what they do on a daily basis. Then we had to build a tree from branches and we collected leaves too. We also had booklets and we had to identify different mini beasts and leaves around the grounds. Finally we went to the water and looked at the bugs that were in it. When I was in a primary four class we went out looking for mini beasts, using magnifying glasses to see where they lived and the kind of things that attracted them to their home. This was a great activity for engaging the class and the children seemed to really enjoy it.

The second workshop involved looking at cultural and social diversity. There was a range of different pictures to where we had to identify the similarities and differences within them. Then we looked at how diverse Scotland is and we had to estimate the percentage of ethnic minority, born out with Scotland, same sex marriages, registered disabled, religions and different languages spoken. I feel this is a great activity that could be used in an upper classroom setting.

Also we learned the importance of global diversity and looking at how people’s rights are different across the globe, for example, in China there is no freedom of speech and in Ghana disabled people are chained, starved and tortured. This may be a way in a upper class to discuss human rights and how they differ across the world.

Finally, the GTC and its professional standards include social justice and integrity and therefore as a teacher I must insure that these standards are shown and developed throughout my teaching career. Furthermore within CfE there are many social and health and wellbeing outcomes that refer to diversity. In my school on placement they are going for ‘Rights respecting schools” which is all to do with children’s rights and equality.

In this week’s workshop, we have been learning about energy. The main focus was on how we use energy and different types of energy. Furthermore we looked at the planet’s future and how long energy sources will last. We discussed how much energy from getting up this morning to being at uni we had already used without a second thought. This highlighted how much energy we use in a short period.

In the first workshop, there was a carousel of different energy related activities and this would be a good way to introduce and develop energy within a classroom setting. It gave me many ideas as to what I could use in my classroom to engage the children with this topic. There were also a variety of activities that as a teacher I would have to decide which age and stage best suited the class, because one experiment with the steel wool went on fire. It showed me the need to be well organised, have materials to hand and be prepared if a challenge arises.

Some of these carousel activities included: using metallic wool, using a circuit to turn on a light with a variety of materials, a solar power task using a lego car, balloons and kinetic energy. I feel I now have a good idea of energy activities that I could use and be confident with in my classroom.

In the second workshop, we were split into two groups of opposing sides about the positives and negatives of wind energy. This was very useful as every member in the team had a role to play which meant that nobody could step back and let the others do everything. We had to read a passage about our side of the argument and this improved our critical thinking skills and because we had time to prepare it gave me confidence as to what I was going to contribute and I feel that this would be the same in the classroom, if the children were given time to prepare and felt a boost of self esteem to debate for their team. The children would learn from each as they participate in the debate.

There was a guest speaker from Onthank Primary School, who was there to talk about STEM teaching – science, technology, engineering and maths. Within this workshop we had to make an anemometer and then prepare a lesson on how to prepare and teach this to a class. I found this useful as it is a lesson I could use when on my teaching practice and one the children would engage with. It was also emphasised on the need of children to work independently and not be scared on making mistakes and thus build up their confidence.

I have learned that there are many forms of energy: kinetic, electrical, chemical, heat and light to mention a few and I now know quite a few websites that would provide information, activities and online games that relate to energy.

Sustainable Development Serial Day Task

This map has changed slightly as there is now the following;

Grass Area now with two Trim Trails

Willows

Concrete Playground with games painted on.

Class Garden Area

Within my placement school there is a tremendous amount of evidence of sustainable development running throughout the whole school as the school are very proactive in their education on sustainable development. The school grounds are laid out very well for the children. Within the playground there is a large area of tarmac for the children to use to play on. There are several games painted on the tarmac: snakes and ladders, squares, shapes, numbers, alphabet games all to enhance outdoor learning as well as netball lines drawn. Also within the school grounds there are several green areas that the children can use to explore with their peers whilst playing and the teachers can take the children to for outdoor learning. There are two willows that are used for exploration and some children told me they sometimes go out there and sit to share their class news. The children have carried out mini beast projects and used the willow to compare the amount of mini beasts that were found there to an area on the tarmac. Furthermore the children have the opportunity to develop their physical skills as there are two trim trails one for the upper and one for the lower primaries. The children are allowed to play on the trim trails as long as there is a classroom assistant supervising. The school raised funds for the trim trails and the children were given an input in to which ones to select to buy thus giving the children a sense of responsibility and hopefully encouraging them to look after the trim trails.

I feel that these areas outside provide a significant aspect to the school day for the children as they can let themselves be free and explore on their own or with their peers, taking a break from academic work whilst having fun with a good large play area with differing textures and many activities to choose from.

The school grounds have a greenhouse made completely out of bottles and sticks reinforcing the importance of recycling and the use of recycling. Whilst asking the children about this they showed enthusiasm towards the greenhouse and spoke about it with pride. They explained to me that over a course of several weeks everyone had to bring in clean plastic bottles which were then all cut, holes put in and then several parents and children were given the task of building a plastic bottle greenhouse. This took a few days to build. The plastic bottle greenhouse is used to plant seedlings and bring them on to then be planted in each class garden or within the school grounds.

Keeping with the theme of growing the children grow things in their own class gardens. Each class is responsible and can grow whatever they want in their garden. Some classes grow vegetables, some have fruit trees near their garden and some grow flowers. The children told me that last year they made potato soup and the cooks used the apples to make apple crumble for dinner one day. The children seemed to have a sense of achievement when telling me this and I can see they were really proud of this and hopefully they will take this home and it will encourage their parents to grow things or hopefully foster a desire to do this when the children grow up.

As sustainable development is encouraged throughout the wholes school the children were eager to tell me about several of their committees and activities that “Save the planet.” Their eco committee has regular meetings and plan new ways of helping the school gain their green flag. The school have had their green flag for three years in a row but each year they have to be continually monitoring their activities, keep them going whilst possibly looking for new ideas. The children I spoke to were on the eco committee and were very enthusiastic to tell me all about it. They seemed to have a good grasp of the aims and how to keep the school running by recycling which is done using blue bags in each class for paper and the eco committee collect the bags, weigh them and empty them every week although the children did admit sometimes it can be over two weeks. The school also has large recycle bins outside, reinforcing to the children the importance of recycling and not waste. They also mentioned the food waste monitors in the dinner hall who check the children put the waste food in the correct bins. They were hoping to put a food waste bin in the staff room, as there are currently none available. Also the energy monitors who do spot checks that lights are switched off when no one is in a room and they note the electricity metre readings within the school. The committee also run an eco poster competition every year and an eco week throughout the school year to draw attention to and make children aware of how being an eco school is important.

Keeping the playground clean is another aspect that the children were proud to tell me about. The school have a litter committee that operate at lunch times, where the children go round the play ground and get rid of any litter within the area, putting it into recycle bins and making the playground clean and safe for the children. The litter pickers have tongs and wear aluminous vests. Every week they go around the classrooms letting the children know how much litter was collected hoping that the amount will be reducing in the long run as the children will be encouraged to put their litter in a bin.

I was am very impressed with the amount of sustainable development that goes on within my placement school and as the Scottish Government, (2010 p.4) states there should be a “whole school approach to learning for sustainability that is robust.” I would certainly say this is the case within the school. The children also love having roles and responsibilities that are important and make a difference to the school.

References

Scottish Government (2010) Learning for Change Report. Edinburgh: Scottish Government

Disasters

In the world today we are constantly up dated about natural disasters happening all around the world and therefore we have first hand knowledge as soon as a disaster occurs.

There are two types of disasters in the world, natural and man-made. Something is only classed as a disaster if human society is impacted. There will be

• Social damage
• Material damage
• Loss of life

Natural disasters consist of;

• Hurricanes
• Earthquakes
• Volcanic eruptions
• Tsunamis
• Floods
• Disease epidemics

Therefore disasters can have a serious impact on the world by possible global warming, urbanisation and land use. These can all be interrelated for example an earthquake can cause a tsunami, floods can cause hygienic problems and then lead to epidemic of disease.

After the lectures on disasters I now realise the importance of politics and how they influence the preparation and response received before or after a disaster. The responses are at three levels, local, national and international. The government has a big responsibility to keep their country safe, for example building houses that are earthquake proof or building flood defense barriers and having a national disaster plan in place so that citizens know the protocol to follow. The problem on the political side is having a government that sees protecting its country from disasters as a priority it also depends on the amount of funding a government has and if there is corruption in the government. We looked at two case studies or japan and Haiti. The contrast was stark; Japan is well prepared for a disaster, unlike Haiti, which is a developing country, which has less money, fewer resources and therefore is less prepared for natural disasters. Furthermore these developing countries seem to rely on international help. Rich thriving countries still do have their fair share of natural disasters but they are more prepared with their evacuation plans and get help from other countries quicker. They have good rebuilding of their infrastructures and work will with their communities and international partners to get back to normality.

Furthermore the role of international organisations is key to helping the disaster relief but there are also many NGO’s for example save the children and the Red Cross. These organisations are unbiased, politically neutral and prioritise humanitarian needs. They do an amazing job to help humanity after a disaster.

Within the classroom, I feel as a teacher it is important that the children know about disasters but the questions is how far do we go? The school could be involved in fundraising if it was a more local disaster like a flooding in southern England. It is good to look at both global and local viewpoints but as a teacher I am very aware that I would have to sensor the images that I use so not to upset the children. Natural disasters bring in many curricular links.

‘I can describe the physical process of a natural disaster and discuss its impact on people and the landscape. SOC 2-07b

I feel using some of the drama conventions that I have learned I could put the children into the feet of a victim of these disasters and help them understand what they feel like. Also linking it to being an emergency working, a survivor or a charity working and looking at the disaster from their perspective and discussing them.

In the second workshop we did another carousel-based activity in our groups, where we worked round different activities linking with natural disasters. I found that one in particular about making your own volcanic eruption would be a great activity to do in a class in the upper school. Thus developing the children’s enquiry and investigative skills.

I’m starting to feel more confident if I had to teach disasters if I were to teach it in the middle to upper schools. I feel the lecturers have provided me with lots of ideas and resources that I could take with me.

Interdependence is the way in which two living things depend on each other to grow and remain healthy. There are three main components on interdependence;

• Economics
• Social
• Environmental

The economic takes in the global markets and financial institutions. The social takes in the media advertising and cultural integration. The environment needs to look beyond the local area and look at our global responsibilities that everyone has a job to maintain the web of life. Interdependence has an effect on the food supply and food chains, plant and animal breeding and crop protection and animal welfare. Furthermore it affects symbiosis, social behaviours and there is the fear of extinction with the threats due to biodiversity.

Interdependence can be seen through food chains be it at , sea or on land .  An example of interdependence problems that has been going on for years is the pollution in the ocean. This affects the water due to the chemicals which end up in the water because of the pollution and therefore the plants take on these chemicals and the fish eat these plants and then we eat the fish therefore causing harm to the ocean, the fish and to us. In the classroom an activity to show interdependence could be to  make a food chain  cycle where the children have to fit the flashcard with words or picture in the correct place in the cycle, thus reinforcing interdependence. An infant class could do this with pictures only. It could be differentiated in middle school with flashcards and explanations and upper school they could make their own cycles. I myself am now aware of the pollution can be caused in the ocean due the task I completed in my group. I was shocked and disgusted at the pollution that even I am involved with the things I through out. Therefore I see it as crucial that we teach children the importance of this in the classroom from an early age.

When on work experience I was in a P2 class and they were doing a topic on interdependence, they had to go out with me to the school grounds and look for all sorts of mini beasts. We brought these back to the classroom and discussed how the fox – mouse – spider – fly – grass and how it was all interrelated through interdependence. I was actually amazed at how the children grasped the concept.

Research using the computers would be a good way of letting children find out about endangered animals and how in some countries large animals are killed for example an elephant being killed for their tusks and there is a chance of extinction if this continues.

This section also looked at two different types of farms and how this related to the economical factors of interdependence to maintain these farms, which I have previously discussed in my independent study task which can be found on my previous blogs.

Climate change is an up-to-date topic that is frequently discussed on the news. In the lecture we discussed the effects that climate change is having on our world today and it is a topic that I feel should be discussed in school, as we need to look after our planet now rather than when its too late and the climate has been completely damaged. Climate change is the average weather at a given time or point over a long period. If the climate doesn’t stay the same it can be called climate change.

Evidence for climate change is collected by weather recordings, ice cores, rocks and fossils and analyses of pollen and trees. There are several significant dangers of climate change;

• Desertification
• Damage from flooding – crops or house damage
• Sea level changes
• Sea defences under more stress
• Flooding of low lying costal areas

Climate change is effecting our weather and therefore the British farming industry is suffering by producing poor quality crops which the farmers have a problem selling and even  in some areas the crops are completely damaged due to flooding. We have seen a lot of flooding in the past couple of years in the UK and more recently the hurricane Irma that has destroyed hundreds of homes and killing many many people in Florida and the Caribbean.

In the first workshop we researched and worked collaboratively in a group. We had to research the effects climate change would have on a family living in the Borders of Scotland. We had to present our work to the rest of our peers and each group member had to contribute. I think this would be a good activity to use in the middle or upper school as the children could use the researching, ICT skills or produce a poster full of information to present to the rest of the class. This task really made me think about the impact of climate change on family life, it was very interesting to hear about the other groups and one group  had a family in Indian to research and it made me imagine  what that family had to suffer because of climate change. In the second workshop, it was a carousel of activities that we had to work around in groups. This was an excellent means by which we covered several different areas and we all got to participate in it all relating to climate change.

The government in the UK is very involved in climate change and are looking for many ways to reduce it.The climate change Scotland act 2009 is trying to reduce admissions of dangerous gasses by at least 80%. These targets have to be met by 2050. There is also the greenhouse effect to considered, many scientists believe that due to a build up of greenhouse gasses around the world that heat becomes trapped inside the earth’s atmosphere and therefore it results in an increase of the world’s temperature  and is called global warming. Furthermore I have learned about the ozone layer which is meant to protect the earth for harmful ultra violet rays, however the ozone layer is becoming thinner and more or the harmful rays are reaching the earth. These are all areas that children need to be aware of and learn about as it has an impact on the environment and their lives. I now have a better understanding of how to tackle climate change and the impact that climate change has on the world and me. I now feel more confident about helping the children to understand about climate change and activities I could use with them in the class.

The environment has been my first introduction to sustainable development. “The goal of sustainable development is to enable all people throughout the world to satisfy their basic needs and enjoy a better quality of life without compromising the quality of life of future generations.” (Scottish Government, 2010, p. 4) We looked at two environments the natural and the urban. Because of task 1 I am more aware of what the urban environment is. As a teacher I now see the importance of educating the children about sustainable development. It is important to educate children to care for their environment as they live in it now but also for the future generations. We will be teaching them the values of sustainability about a healthier, happier, environmental friendly world that will develop benefits in health, the environmental improvements, better use of resources, makes education relevant and will help with policy making at government level.

I am very aware already of the damage that the environment has encountered as its good to teach children from an early age how we can contribute in protecting the environment where we live. “The disproportionate overuse of resources by industrialised nations has raised living standards in many countries but at a huge cost to the health of the Earth’s living systems” (Scottish Government, 2012, p.6)

The natural environment has to do with human relationships with nature, the biodiversity of the local area and interdependence.

One of the first workshops we had to look at plants and living things. This involved identifying the living parts and dissecting the flower. We then had to match the parts of the flowers to a diagram on a worksheet. We went outside to be nature detectives and we were looking at air quality and Lichen.  The Lichen can be used to find out how much air pollution is in the area and what affect this is having in the area. The children can look for Lichen and find where it is and why it is there, for example on trees facing a specific way.

The second workshop involved looking more at living things in our groups. We looked at snails in the classroom and I can see this as an excellent activity in the primary class by getting out the microscopes, looking in detail at the spirals, the tentacles and the air hole on the snail. The children could then draw their snail looking in detail at all of the colours, spirals and details of the snails.

Reference

Scottish Government (2012) Learning for Sustainability: The Report of the One Planet Schools Working Group. Edinburgh: Scottish Government

References

Scottish Government (2012) Learning for Sustainability: The Report of the One Planet Schools Working Group. Edinburgh: Scottish Government